THIS Monday’s monthly meeting of the local authority, which ultimately had to be cancelled due to emotional outbursts, perfectly pointed to the need for transparency at local authority meetings.
It may be considered ironic then that the scenes took place during a meeting where talks turned to the live-streaming and recording of local authority sessions.
At the meeting, Mayor John Moran proposed that all full Council meetings be live-streamed and recorded in full on audio and video. He then called for these recordings to be made publicly available on the Council’s official website no later than two business days following the meeting, without unnecessary barriers or registration requirements.
Fianna Fáil councillor Michael Collins proposed an amendment to the Mayor’s proposal, voicing his wish for all statutory meetings to be recorded. Fine Gael councillor John Sheahan also suggested to the Mayor that “some teasing out was needed”.
“There’s no disagreement here in relation to this motion in principle, but even the Mayor recognises that it is subject to necessary administrative, legal, procurement, and data protection. The legal and data protection are what worries my group,” Cllr Sheahan confessed.
Referring to the absolute legal privilege held in the Dáil, where TD and senators can speak freely without fear of legal consequence, Cllr Sheahan noted that local councillors “only have a qualified privilege inside here”.
“I would be very perturbed if one of our councillors found themselves, in the heat of a moment, saying something – and it has happened here in this chamber where one of our councillors was carted away to a Garda station for an alleged comment at a Council meeting. We need to be careful in what we are doing here.”
Green Party councillor Seán Hartigan seconded the Mayor’s motion, commending it as mindful of the administrative and financial requirements needed before implementation.
Social Democrats councillor Shane Hickey-O’Mara also supported Mayor Moran, saying: “About bloody time, and I’m delighted to support it.”
Independent councillor John O’Donoghue expressed concerns that sometimes “there can be a little bit of an off the cuff or an argy-bargy over and back” in the chamber. “Do we need to go in behind closed doors and tease this out?”
“We’re finished with closed doors, Johnnie,” Cllr John Sheahan replied.
Fianna Fail councillor Bridie Collins said she was not personally in favour of this move, but in the interest of transparency, was prepared to support her colleague Cllr Michael Collins’ counter motion for the recording and streaming of all statutory meetings.
Independent councillor Maria Donoghue supported Mayor Moran and pointed out when concerns about costs were raised that: “We don’t need to reinvent the wheel. Let’s see how other Councils are going about this because we shouldn’t use our concerns as an obstacle to delivering this.”
Cllr Tom Ruddle (FG) said he would support the motion but insisted on having “unlimited privilege” or else demanded the Council pay for insurance in case of a legal claim.
“We did have a case here where a man was dragged into a Garda Station over stuff he had said here in the chamber. All of us were rang around by the Gardaí and asked’ what did he say? If any of us had said what he had said, I’m afraid he’d be in jail now,” Cllr Ruddle commented.